Floating Hotel
Anyone that’s been on a cruise ship will know that the vessel is essentially a floating hotel. You have all the amenities and services you need and more. Working in the hospitality industry is not easy and comes with its challenges.
Floating Hotel
Watching Your Every Move
Before applying to work on a cruise ship you need to know what you’re getting yourself into. You should know that your every move is being recorded as there are cameras everywhere. You’re being watched from the moment you step out of your cabin.
Watching Your Every Move
Living A Double Life
It’s not unusual to find crew members who lead a double life. If they’re aboard the vessels for the most part of the year, it’s easy to have a family back home and have other romantic relationships while working on the ship.
Living A Double Life
Away From It All
If you like keeping up with the news or binge-watching your favorite series then you might battle working on a cruise ship. Internet connections are unreliable and expensive out at sea so it’ll be difficult to continue following sports, news, or your favorite programs.
Away From It All
Learning Their Code Language
In order to not alarm guests enjoying their vacation, crew members have their own code language to communicate. If there’s a small incident that needs to be attended to like a small fire on the ship, you wouldn’t want the guests to panic.
Learning Their Code Language
The Crew Knows How To Party
The crew works really hard, and they also party really hard. They have a bar that is for crew members only aboard the ship. They have to be careful though because there are random drug tests and breathalyzer tests done on the crew.
The Crew Knows How To Party
Romantic Relationships With Guests Is Prohibited
If you are looking to find a love interest while working on a cruise ship, then make sure you stay away from vacation goers. It is strictly forbidden for crew workers to engage with guests one-on-one. You could lose your job if you do.
Romantic Relationships With Guests Is Prohibited
A Possibility For Romance
You may not be allowed to get involved with guests but there’s still a chance to have a romantic connection with someone aboard. According to an anonymous cruise worker, this happens a lot between crew members because. It’s the ideal setting.
A Possibility For Romance
Pranking Vacation-Goers
Being out at sea for months on end can get a little boring, so the crew pulls pranks on the guests for a bit of fun. Nothing too hard though because they can be at risk of losing their jobs. It’s usually harmless pranks.
Pranking Vacation-Goers
Filling Unsold Cabins
If cruise ships have unsold cabins and they leave port then the cruise liner is losing money. To ensure that the ship is at full capacity they sell some cabins at a discounted price when it gets closer to the departure date.
Filling Unsold Cabins
Crew Members And Their Cliques
Not everyone hangs out in a big group. Every ship has different cliques among the crew members. Seeing as there are people from all over the world that come to work on cruise ships, those from the same country might create their own clique.
Crew Members And Their Cliques
Some Unpleasant Emergencies
There are many different emergencies that occur but some are really unpleasant. For example, when a Carnival cruise ship lost power because of a fire and was stranded in the Gulf Of Mexico for so long that the sewage got backed up.
Some Unpleasant Emergencies
Different Crew Cabins
A crew member that worked aboard the Royal Caribbean Line, shared that your position determines what kind of cabin you get. Officers and staff members get spacious cabins with windows but other crew members get tiny cabins with no windows.
Different Crew Cabins
Trained To Handle Pirate Attacks
Most people think that pirates don’t exist this day in age, but they do. However, it’s pretty rare for a pirate to take over a gigantic cruise ship. The crew has to be trained regardless, so they know what to do in the unlikely event.
Trained To Handle Pirate Attacks
Owned By The Cruise Line
Brian David Burns, who was a former cruise worker wrote a tell-all book called “Cruise Confidential.” He explains how the worst part of his experience was being owned by the cruise line. They control everything you do while you’re under their employment.
Owned By The Cruise Line
Eating Leftovers
Aboard the ship, the crew is on the bottom of the food chain. The kitchen staff cooks their meals with the leftover scraps. Some crew members are lucky enough to eat whatever food the guests have leftover in the buffets.
Buffet Food
Weird Requests From Guests
Anyone that has worked in the service and hospitality industry will know that some people make weird requests. Guests aboard a cruise ship are no different. One cruise ship worker told USA Today how he would get strange requests all the time. One worker recalled that a guest asked: “If the ship sinks, will there be an ice cream machine on the lifeboat?”
Weird Requests From Guests
Getting Great Tips
Cruise ship workers’ cash comes primarily from tips they receive from guests. Cruise lines have a mandatory gratuity in place which is split equally among all staff. Staff members that are more bubbly and outgoing tend to get more than more reserved ones.
Getting Great Tips
A Great Way To Save
Other than the tips, the pay is pretty good considering crew members have no expenses whilst working onboard. This way they’re able to put some savings aside as well. Many workers manage to make enough money to send home to their families.
A Great Way To Save
No Days Off
The one thing that is negative, is that you get no days off. It’s not all that bad though because they work on a rotational basis. So even though they work every day, they get a few hours off a day.
No Days Off
Exploring The World
The best part of working on a cruise ship is the land excursions. Guests are not the only ones allowed to get off the ship and explore the sights. If it’s a crew member’s time off then he is also allowed to explore.
Exploring The World
Be Sure You Don’t Get Left Behind
You must ensure that you return to the ship before it is set to depart again. If cruise ships stay longer than their allotted time in the port they get fined heavily. So anyone that isn’t on board in time will get left behind.
Be Sure You Don’t Get Left Behind
Ideal Job If You’re Dieting
Cruise ship food is known to be delectable for the guests. But that’s not the case for staff members. Because they get scraps, food choices are not always palatable. That means it’s easy to go on a diet because you don’t eat so much.
Ideal Job If You’re Dieting
Avoiding Lawsuits
Even though relationships between employees are discouraged, they do happen. If it’s discovered that an employee has a relationship with a passenger, the employee would be fired and the cruise line could face a lawsuit. So it should be avoided at all costs.
Avoiding Lawsuits
Overindulging
Drinks on the ship are known to be very expensive for guests, but not for the staff. At their exclusive bar, drinks are very cheap. Even though it is prohibited for staff to become intoxicated, some still do overindulge and remain undetected.
Overindulging
Like Being On Big Brother
In order to protect themselves, cruise lines have to have surveillance cameras all over their ships. Not only is it to protect the corporation, but for the safety of the guests and staff alike. In case of an incident, footage can be easily retrieved.
Like Being On Big Brother
A Morgue On Board
In the event that is a death onboard the ship, there has to be a place where to store the body. It’s not a pleasant thought but unfortunately, it happens and it is something that the ship has to be prepared for.
A Morgue On Board
The Importance Of Comment Cards
It is a common practice in the service industry for guests to fill out a comment card. These comments are taken very seriously by cruise lines. The comments or complaints could even determine if a staff member gets a bonus or even gets fired.
The Importance Of Comment Cards
Different Nationalities Onboard
Cruise ship workers do grueling work for long hours and some people can cope better than others. Cruise lines like to employ workers from developing countries because it works out cheaper than employing Americans because of the exchange rate of other currencies.
Different Nationalities Onboard
Laws Still Apply Onboard
Just because the ship is at sea it doesn’t mean that there are no laws to abide by, so there is something called Maritime Law. Unfortunately, some people didn’t abide by these laws and now face a prison sentence for drug smuggling.
Laws Still Apply Onboard
The War Room
A former cruise ship worker shared how every chip has a room that is only used for emergencies. This room is known as the war room or safety center. This is where the captain plans strategies in case of an emergency.
The War Room
The Possibility Of Rogue Waves
Also known as freak waves or monster waves, rogue waves are huge waves that can cause a lot of damage. They come out of nowhere and don’t match the surrounding water patterns, so the captain has no time to veer away from it.
The Possibility Of Rogue Waves
Cannot Control Nature
The crew is trained for every possible scenario so they can assist their guests in keeping calm and moving away from any possible danger. Some things you just can’t prepare for, especially when it comes to nature and its unpredictability.
Cannot Control Nature
Dorm Like Cabins
Some cruise ships have cabins that are like dorm rooms where a few people share it. Some rooms can accommodate up to 11 crew members. Former employees have said that the dorm-like environment can get old quickly but others enjoy the vibe.
Dorm Like Cabins
Onboard Accidents
Whenever there are a lot of people together in one place you can expect accidents to happen. Some may be minor and some major, and cruise ship is no exception. There have been instances where people have gone overboard.
Onboard Accidents
Pollution Is A Problem
Many vacation goers don’t realize just how much pollution cruise ships cause. In one day a cruise ship can produce the same amount of pollution as a million cars on the road. Unfortunately, cruise lines aren’t doing much to reduce the impact.
Pollution Is A Problem
No Refunds
During the booking process, there is an option to purchase insurance, but most people don’t. In the event that a passenger can no longer make their trip, they will lose their entire booking if they didn’t buy the insurance.
No Refunds
Breakouts On The Ship
Viruses and bacteria are everywhere and can spread easily if undetected. There was an instance where there was an outbreak of the food-borne virus called norovirus aboard a ship and it affected many passengers.
Breakouts On The Ship
Sea Rescues
It is very rare that someone accidentally falls overboard but it can happen. This was the case when a 22-year-old father fell into the rough seas. A man sitting on his balcony with his daughter witnessed it and caught the rescue on film.
Sea Rescues
Always Willing To Help
Crew members are there to make your experience enjoyable and pleasant. If there’s anything that a guest needs they can be sure that if they ask a staff member, they will do everything they can to assist. It’s part of the job.
Always Willing To Help
